The present invention relates generally to seats, chairs and the like, and more particularly to fold-up or xe2x80x9ctip-upxe2x80x9d seats.
The invention has been developed primarily for use as a stadium seat, and will be described predominantly with reference to this application. It will be appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use, being also applicable to auditoriums, concert halls, opera houses, grandstands, theatres, cinemas and potentially any other situation in which fold-up or tip-up seating is employed.
Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
Stadium seats are reasonably well known. They typically comprise a generally horizontally oriented seat member disposed to support the majority of the weight of a sitter, and a generally vertically oriented backrest positioned immediately behind and above the seat member to provide appropriate back support. While some stadiums make use of elongate bench type arrangements, these tend to become relatively uncomfortable after prolonged periods, and for this reason, individual seat configurations are generally preferred.
Individual stadium seats of this type are typically grouped together in rows and are normally anchored securely to a frame or other supporting structure so as to maintain the intended spacing between seats and prevent unauthorised removal.
One difficulty that is commonly encountered with such seating is that in order to accommodate the maximum number of spectators in a limited space, the seats must be positioned relatively closely together. Such constraints on packing density apply in terms of both the lateral spacing between adjacent seats in a row, and the fore and aft spacing between successive rows. This makes it difficult for spectators to move along the limited corridor space between the backs of the seats in one row and the fronts of the seats in the adjacent row. It also makes cleaning of the seats, and of the spaces beneath, around and between them, more difficult.
In an attempt to ameliorate these problems, so-called tip-up stadium seats have been developed. These seats typically incorporate some form of hinge mechanism to permit the seat member to fold or tip upwardly toward the backrest, thereby creating additional corridor space between adjacent rows when the seats are not in use. Arrangements of this type have permitted greater packing densities to be achieved, or alternatively have provided more comfortable spacing between rows for a given packing density. They have also enabled greater access to facilitate cleaning. However, known tip-up seat mechanisms have been found in practice to suffer from various disadvantages, deficiencies and problems.
For example, in some designs, the only stable rest position for the folding seat member is the operative or use position, so that the potential space saving can only be realised by a spectator manually tipping up each seat individually as they pass along the row. This is a clumsy, awkward and time-consuming procedure for a user attempting to move along a particular row for any significant distance.
In other designs, a counterweight mechanism is provided so as automatically to bias the seat member into a fully upright or retracted position, when not in use. This provides optimum space saving potential. However, arrangements of this type are also prone to problems and disadvantages. For example, it is not uncommon for the mechanism to become stiff over time, due to the accumulation of dirt, spilled food or drink and other debris in the relatively small clearance spaces associated with the hinges. As soon as the resultant friction exceeds the relatively small retraction force provided by the counterweight, the retraction mechanism fails to operate automatically, and the individual seat members must once again be manually raised.
Such designs are further limited in that they require the seat member to be manually folded down, against the retraction force provided by the counterweight, before the user can safely sit on it. This operation is inconvenient if the user""s hands are otherwise occupied, for example in carrying bags, food, drink or other amenities.
There is also a safety concern in relation to seats of this type, in situations when the user stands and then attempts to resume the seated position. In such circumstances, if the user is unaware that the seat member has automatically tipped upwardly into the retracted position, there is a significant risk that the user will fall onto the ground in front of the retracted seat, landing directly on the user""s coccyx. This gives rise to the concomitant risk of shock and potentially serious spinal injury. Spectators are particularly prone to this sort of accident when standing momentarily while their attention is drawn away from the seat, as occurs for example when spontaneously rising to applaud, cheer on a player or team, celebrate a point score, or perform a xe2x80x9cMexican wavexe2x80x9d.
In an attempt to ameliorate these problems, some tip-up stadium seats have been designed so as not to allow the seat member to retract into the fully upright position. However, this restriction compromises the space saving potential and also impedes cleaning and maintenance operations.
Many known stadium seats are also prone to rapid deterioration and premature failure due to inadequacies in their design and/or a failure on the part of the designers to anticipate the severity of the conditions to which the seats are repeatedly exposed at major mass marketed sporting events.
For example, in a number of known tip-up stadium seats, the hinge mechanisms have been found to be deficient. In some cases, the hinges are relatively weak, and are prone to rapid wear and frequent failure through the use and abuse to which they are inevitably subjected. Some designs are also susceptible to being improperly assembled at the installation stage, as a consequence of which the seat member can inadvertently become disconnected from the backrest and the supporting frame while in use. This situation is potentially hazardous, again due to the risk of the sitter falling without warning and landing on the coccyx.
A distinct but related shortcoming of some seats is that they can be disassembled too readily, and are therefore susceptible to vandalism. Aside from the cost of maintenance and repair, this issue is particularly problematic, because of the inherent hazard involved if the seat member can be intentionally removed and used abusively as a projectile by spectators.
Other deficiencies in known designs include excessive complexity of design, a large number of moving parts giving rise to complexity in installation, production and maintenance expense, exposed edges or protrusions on which clothing can catch, exposed back regions enabling inadvertent foot contact from behind, poor reliability, poor ergonomics, and premature degradation due to environmental exposure.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate one or more of these disadvantages of prior art, or at least to provide a useful alternative.
Accordingly, the invention provides a A tip-up seat assembly including:
a backrest, adapted to be secured to a supporting structure in a generally upright orientation;
a corresponding seat member adjacent the backrest, hingedly mounted for rotation between an open position wherein the seat member is substantially horizontal and a folded position wherein the seat member is tilted upwardly toward the backrest;
bias means for biasing the seat member toward the folded position; and
a tilt-limiter configured to resiliently restrain the seat member in an intermediate position thereby avoiding inadvertent rotation of the seat member into the folded position.
Preferably, the tilt-limiter includes a resilient arm having a free end for engagement with a contact surface to provide a counter-force against the bias means. The contact surface may be located on the seat member or the backrest.
Preferably, as the seat member rotates from the open position toward the intermediate position under the effect of the biasing means, the free end of the resilient arm engages the contact surface. Further rotation of the seat member preferably causes increasing deformation of the finger, thereby providing an increasing counter-force on the contact surface acting against the direction of rotation. Eventually the counter-force and bias force will be in equilibrium and a steady state will preferably be reached. This preferably corresponds to the intermediate position.
Preferably the tilt-limiter is located on the backrest and the contact surface is located on the seat member.
Preferably, the backrest includes a pair of generally parallel, spaced apart, horizontally oriented arms extending from a lower portion of the backrest and the seat member preferably includes a top surface having a pair of complementary recesses extending from a rear edge of the seat member adjacent to the backrest to receive and locate the corresponding horizontal arms of the backrest.
Preferably, each arm includes an upper channel portion for receiving a corresponding pair of cantilever support rails of the supporting structure.
Preferably, the seat member includes a pair of apertures each positioned for axial alignment with a corresponding respective apertures at the distal end of each rail, to permit hinged connection between the seat member and the supports by respective hinge pins extending through the pairs of aligned apertures.
Preferably, each arm includes a lower housing beneath each channel for receiving the tilt limiter, and the housing preferably incorporates a forwardly projecting opening.
Preferably, a pair of generally parallel, closely spaced sidewalls extends downwardly from the respective longitudinal edges of each recess.
Preferably, the depth of the sidewalls are stepped so that the rearward sections extend further from the recess and join at a lower abutment wall to form a pocket. Preferably, the pocket is open at the rear and enclosed at the front by a contact wall having a top ledge, and inner and outer contact surfaces.
Preferably, the apertures on the seat member are located near the forward ends of each corresponding pair of sidewalls.
Preferably, the bias means is counter-weight located on the seat member, adjacent a rear peripheral edge.
Preferably, the counter weight is snap lockingly engaged to the seat member.
Preferably, the tilt limiter is formed as a unitary component from a resilient plastics material.
Preferably, the tilt-limiter includes specially shaped upper and lower arms joined at a common end to define a nose formation.
Preferably, the nose formation is generally in the shape of a V-clip.
Preferably, the upper arm extends forwardly of the nose to define a retaining latch and complementary upper locating stop for engagement with a complementary lug within the housing. Similarly, a lower locating stop is preferably disposed on the lower arm for engagement with a corresponding lower lug in the housing thereby securing the tilt-limiter within the housing.
Preferably, the upper arm also includes the resilient finger having secondary and primary bows respectively disposed concave upwardly and downwardly facing.
Preferably, the lower arm also includes an auxiliary bow and free end for engaging the inner contact surface of the seat member when the seat is in the open position. This preferably deforms the auxiliary bow and provides an initialising bias force for the seat member away from the open position.
Preferably, the free end is substantially F-shaped.
Preferably, the backrest includes a generally horizontally concave and vertically convex front surface for contacting and supporting the lower to mid section of the sitter""s back
Preferably, backrest also includes a plurality of spaced ribs formed into the outside surface facing away from the sitter, and a peripheral apron on the top and sides to increase strength and rigidity.